Alan Roy Burgess, 88, of White Rock, British Columbia, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2023.
Alan was born on March 27, 1935 in Toronto (Leaside) to Richard and Alice Burgess, the youngest of four siblings. He was predeceased by his brother Richard (Dick) and sister Victoria Walker.
After graduating from Leaside High School in 1952, Al went on to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Upon graduation, he accepted his first job in Montreal working for Abitibi Paper. He eventually moved to Fonthill, Ontario, and spent 27 years as Operations Superintendent at Stelco’s Welland facility (formerly known as Page-Hersey).
In 1971, Alan married his wife Laurel. They shared 52 loving years together and many good memories through their travels and time spent with family and friends – especially those years escaping our Canadian winters to Ft. Myers, Florida.
Although Alan’s career ended sooner than expected due to health challenges, he made the most of his early retirement mastering his skills in the kitchen. His roast leg of lamb together with his signature caesar salad – always with a hint of blue cheese – were memorable! He took great pleasure in sharing a meal and a cold can of beer with good company. Al embraced a multitude of interests with the same passion and attention to detail, whether that was playing the violin or saxophone, dog training, personal finance, photography, or woodworking. He was also an incurable tinkerer.
One of his greatest strengths was his ability to see a project through with perseverance and courage. He moved through his life with curiosity, intellect, integrity, and kindness towards everyone who had the good fortune to know him.
Alan is survived by his beloved wife, Laurel, and his sister Barbara Joyce Haughton.